Splinter's Family
by KatLeePT
Summary: The baby turtles have their first encounter with humanity after their transformations. Turtle Tots!


He had been searching through the sewers for hours when raised voices suddenly confirmed his worst fears. He ran to where he heard the young and angry voices shouting, and then his fur and tail curled as he listened and his fury built.

"Euuw!"

"You're ugly!"

"Yeah! Nobody would wanna play with you!"

"Humpback!"

"What are you? Turtles or something?"

"Nah. They're lizards."

"We are, as a matter of fact, - "

"We don't really care what you are, greenie! You're ugly, and you're on our turf!"

"Yeah! Now get before we do something bad to ya!"

"You won't hurt my brothers!"

"Oh, yeah? Says who?"

"Me!"

Splinter had known he had to do something, but the situation escalated before he could decide how best to act. He had to get his children away from these young humans wearing black leather with dangling chains, but he also could not be seen. What happened next, however, made him forget all about the need for secrecy and the ethics of a ninja master.

As the humans pushed both Leonardo and Michelangelo, Splinter raced around the corner. "It - It - It - " stammered one human while three others screamed.

"I am a rat," he said without dignity, "and these are my children."

"Yo, man, we didn't mean any harm by it!"

Leonardo had already gone to his baby brother's side and was trying to clean sewage off of him as Splinter eyed the lying humans. "You assaulted my sons."

"They insulted us, too!" Raphael cried. "I oughta give 'em a whatfor!"

The humans went from sniggering as the little, baby turtle attempted a karate kick to yelling in fright when Splinter yanked the pants off the nearest culprit over his head. His method was crude and thoughtless, but it proved effective as the humans turned and ran, all five screaming.

Splinter dropped down beside Leonardo and Michelangelo. Raphael stumbled over to him while little Donatello did not even bother to try to climb to his feet. Splinter reached over and lifted his baby out of the sewage and into his lap.

"You gave him a good whatfor, Daddy!"

"Sensei," Splinter corrected him automatically and then felt a pang. These were his children. He loved them and could love them no greater if he had given birth to them himself. He lifted each small turtle up out of the muck and grime of the sewer and wiped the mess off of their tiny bodies and shells. Then lifting the whole lot of them, he carried them home, disciplining them along the way.

He witnessed each sad face and knew they were all upset, but he had to make certain that this was a lesson they would all remember. This was the reason why he did not want the human world to know of their existence. The humans would only hurt his babies, and Splinter knew, if they ever discovered them, they would not stop tormenting them and trying to determine what they were until they were all dead. The thought horrified him, and he remembered well how his heart had stopped earlier when he'd known the humans had found his little ones.

They were sleepy, their tiny eyes barely open, by the time they reached their home. Splinter had long ago crafted beds for each tiny turtle out of humanity's discards that he found in the sewage system, but tonight he carried them all to his cot and laid down while still holding them. Michelangelo and Raphael were already snoring. Leonardo was trying hard to stay awake, but Splinter knew he was dozing every time his tiny eyes shut. He kept yanking them back open until his Sensei soothed, "It's okay, Leonardo. It's time to sleep. We'll rest tonight and resume your training tomorrow." He smiled as the baby turtle finally let himself lose the battle.

Only Donatello and himself remained awake. Young Donnie looked up at his Sensei, knowing, even at that early age, that he was both his Sensei and father, though Splinter would not admit the latter aloud. He looked up in amazement, knowing that he hadn't only saved them that evening but that he saved them every day, making certain they had everything they needed to survive and stayed hidden from the treacherous humans. "Family's the best thing there is, isn't it," his words were penetrated by a yawn, "Sensei?"

"Yes, my son." Splinter stroked his little, dome-shaped head with a fond smile. "Yes, it is."

Donnie curled up on Splinter's chest and drifted off listening to his father's heartbeat. He was already mostly asleep when he murmured, "I love you, Daddy."

Left alone with only his slumbering children and no one to hear him, Splinter stroked each little body in turn and whispered back, his tail curling over them for extra protection, "I love you too, my sons."

The End


End file.
